Conrad Challenge

Children (including legally adopted children) of currently active, sworn municipal, county, or state firefighters or police officers in the United States and Puerto Rico who qualify for admission to the University of Chicago College may be considered for the National Police and Fire Scholarship. Students whose parent was killed or injured in the line of duty or is mandatorily retired are also eligible. Select recipients receive up to full tuition for twelve academic quarters (four years). Scholarship notifications are typically released in mid-April. UChicago also meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for students who apply for aid. Submit the Common App or Coalition application with the UChicago Supplement, and upload the completed Police and Fire Certification Form (student and verification sections) to the UChicago Account by November 1 for Early Action or Early Decision I, or by January 2 for Early Decision II or Regular Decision.

Full-time or part-time students at accredited U.S. four-year colleges or universities, any major. One $1,000 award. Submit the application form, transcripts, and a maximum three-minute video explaining what makes you unique through the sponsor application form on the Abacus Life Settlements site.

DECA Inc. provides five $2,000 scholarships each year to current DECA members, high school or collegiate, who intend to pursue a course of study in entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality, management or marketing. The awards are part of DECA's Harry Applegate Scholarship Program, which distributes more than $200,000 annually and is strictly merit-based. Selection is based on DECA involvement, leadership ability, community service and academic performance. Members apply online through DECA's scholarship site by creating an account and submitting the application with supporting materials. Applications for the current cycle are open now and close January 11, 2027, and recipients are recognized at DECA's International Career Development Conference.

Active 12th-grade National Beta Senior Club members may apply for National Beta Scholarships. Awards range from $1,000 for most recipients to a single $20,000 top scholarship among 260 annual awards. Complete the online application with contact information, unweighted GPA, ACT or SAT scores, a high school transcript, National Beta club activity and service records, and a resume covering extracurriculars and honors outside Beta. National Beta recognizes members through scholarships, diploma seals, and service awards.

The Diamond Challenge is a global high school entrepreneurship competition with a prize pool of more than $100,000. Teams of two to four students develop and pitch an original business or social venture concept; in each of the two tracks (business innovation and social innovation), first place wins $12,000, second place $8,000, and third place $4,500, awarded to advance the venture or support higher education. Team members must be high school students ages 14-18 at the submission deadline, so freshmen through juniors are fully eligible. Each team needs one adult advisor (21 or older), and each student may join only one team per year. Teams submit their concept and pitch materials directly on the competition site, choosing a live or virtual pitch format. The 2027 submission window opens September 16, 2026, with the submission deadline on January 14, 2027; finalists pitch at the Limitless World Summit in April.

Florida high school seniors who are U.S. citizens and residents with an unweighted GPA between 2.30 and 3.59 may apply. Students above 3.59 are ineligible. Scholarships range from $3,000 to up to $20,000 per recipient. The number of awards varies based on annual funding. Apply through the Florida Elks HOPE Scholarship application. Selection weighs leadership through school activities, community service, and citizenship, including students who worked to support family during high school. The C. Valentine Bates Memorial HOPE Scholarship Fund is administered by the Florida State Elks Association.